Non-Hertz-Millis scaling of the antiferromagnetic quantum critical metal via scalable Hybrid Monte Carlo

Abstract

AbstractA key component of the phase diagram of many iron-based superconductors and electron-doped cuprates is believed to be a quantum critical point (QCP), delineating the onset of antiferromagnetic spin-density wave order in a quasi-two-dimensional metal. The universality class of this QCP is believed to play a fundamental role in the description of the proximate non-Fermi liquid behavior and superconducting phase. A minimal model for this transition is the O(3) spin-fermion model. Despite many efforts, a definitive characterization of its universal properties is still lacking. Here, we numerically study the O(3) spin-fermion model and extract the scaling exponents and functional form of the static and zero-momentum dynamical spin susceptibility. We do this using a Hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm with a novel auto-tuning procedure, which allows us to study unprecedentedly large systems of 80 × 80 sites. We find a strong violation of the Hertz-Millis form, contrary to all previous numerical results. Furthermore, the form that we do observe provides good evidence that the universal scaling is actually governed by the analytically tractable fixed point discovered near perfect “hot-spot’" nesting, even for a larger nesting window. Our predictions can be directly tested with neutron scattering. Additionally, the HMC method we introduce is generic and can be used to study other fermionic models of quantum criticality, where there is a strong need to simulate large systems.